Rhinoceros horn carved Buddha hand cup

[Rhinoceros carved Buddha’s hand cup]

Rhinoceros carved Buddha’s hand cup, clear, 6.5 cm high, 11.8 caliber × 7.7 cm
This cup is made from the middle part of the Asian rhinoceros horn. It is open and has a deep belly. The black deposit in the cup is attached to the wall to cover its true color. It should be the residue of long-term use
The body of the cup is decorated with bergamot and its branches and leaves. The trunk of the tree is coiled, and the branches and leaves are beside it. There are also three bergamot fruits interspersed with it, which can be tilted up or down, with different postures. The bergamot is the incense rafter. The “incense rafter” in Volume 30 of the Compendium of Materia Medica says: “The meaning is unknown, so the bergamot takes the image.” Because the sound of “Buddha” is similar to that of “Fu”, so in ancient times, the bergamot is often used to symbolize many blessings
The sculpting style of this cup is thick, medium and thin, rigid and soft, especially in the front and back processing of leaves. The author has achieved good visual effects by using double lines and single lines, reflecting the exquisite carving skills.